CME will respond to the recommendations on workforce capabilities raised in its cross-country discussions on the future of manufacturing by:

• Helping to coordinate efforts on the part of manufacturers, local school systems, colleges, universities, business and financial services, labour groups, economic development agencies, and municipal governments in communities across Canada to address the issues raised by local industry;
• Leading an initiative to heighten public awareness about the contribution that manufacturing makes to the quality of life of Canadians and the career opportunities that exist for young people in the industry;
• Partnering in initiatives to improve communication, coordination, and collaboration among manufacturers, secondary schools, colleges and institutes of technology, business and engineering schools, and training organizations across the country;
• Partnering with the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative (AWPI) to encourage the entry of aboriginal people into Canada’s manufacturing workforce;
• Partnering with Canada’s community colleges and institutes of technology to launch a certification program in Advanced Manufacturing Management;
• Facilitate the formation of local consortia to enable manufacturers to share best practice and pool resources for purposes of joint training or joint access to expertise;
• Enhancing its training programs for manufacturers in Lean enterprise and other continuous improvement methods, as well as in logistics, supply chain, and global business management; and,
• Effectively representing the interests of manufacturers to local, provincial, and national governments.